‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Hits Rotten Tomatoes with Franchise’s Lowest Score
The latest installment in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, Avatar: Fire and Ash, has hit theaters, receiving mixed reactions from critics and fans alike. The film is directed by Cameron, who co-wrote the screenplay with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver.
They collaborated on the story with Josh Friedman and Shane Salerno. Produced by Lightstorm Entertainment and distributed by 20th Century Studios, this is the third movie in the series, following Avatar: The Way of Water (2022).
Returning cast members include Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Sigourney Weaver, and several others from the previous films. New additions to the cast are Oona Chaplin and David Thewlis.
From Director James Cameron, watch the trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash.
— Avatar (@officialavatar) July 28, 2025
Experience the film only in theaters December 19. pic.twitter.com/Y0D4EUGU7x
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received 68% positive reviews from 91 critics, marking the lowest score the franchise has seen. Metacritic reports a score of 61 out of 100 based on 37 reviews, indicating generally favorable opinions.
Critics praise the movie for its visual spectacle, describing it as an impressive and immersive cinematic experience. The groundbreaking 3D effects and action sequences are widely regarded as stunning and technically ambitious.
However, many reviewers also point out that the storytelling feels repetitive and that the long runtime, over three hours—can make the pacing feel exhausting. Some felt that the film leans heavily on visual effects while the narrative struggles to maintain momentum, and that the anti-colonial messaging, while present, comes across as blunt rather than subtle.
Overall, reviewers suggest that long-time fans will find Fire and Ash a compelling continuation of the story, while newcomers may struggle with the dense plot and long runtime. Despite criticisms, the film’s technical achievements and epic scale remain undeniable, making it a spectacle that is both thrilling and tiring.
For long-time fans, it represents a compelling new chapter; for newcomers, it remains a visually arresting invitation, albeit one that benefits from familiarity with the franchise’s long and layered history.
Linda Marric
Not surprisingly for a film that stretches to three hours and 17 minutes, the pacing, despite the surfeit of action, has all the breakneck oomph you’d expect from an Antiques Roadshow marathon.
Donald Clarke
This is three hours and 15 minutes of unsurpassed cinematic pyrotechnics. Cameron has taken 3D cinema to another wild dimension with a gloriously intense experience that will, frankly, leave you deliriously exhausted.
Nick Howells
While The Way of Water’s 192 minutes didn’t so much breeze by as they gently floated, the crushing heft of Fire and Ash can be felt far too often, pushing the entire endeavour past the brink of exhaustion.
Barry Hertz
What really feels like Cameron’s daredevil creative risk is his insistence on treating the impossible like it’s mundane, like the sight of all 9-foot-5 inches of Quaritch casually chilling out in a hoodie
Amy Nicholson
Three movies in, the formula remains: groundbreaking computer effects, a blunt attempt at anti-colonial messaging, the onset of the glazed stare often found on ultra-long-haul flights.
Danny Leigh
Avatar: Fire and Ash represents a new chapter in the franchise, but it also shows that even visually spectacular films can face challenges in keeping critics fully satisfied.
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